Down We Fall
by My heart beats only for you
Summary: Drake-centric. When old emotions surface, the teen must cope with the unpleasant truth of his past. COMPLETE
1. One

**Disclaimer: **

Alex Trebek: "Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon."

Ken Jennings: "Who are the creators of Drake & Josh?"

Alex Trebek: "Correct, you know-it-all bastard."

**Feedback: **

Won't continue without it.

**Authors Note: **

Italics equal Thoughts

* * *

Drake Parker bites down onto his plump lower lip as he considers the right words to use for his latest song. He rests the ballpoint pen beside the blank pad of paper, brings his guitar up close to his chest and fingerpicks the soft and slow melody. Maneuvering the cherry red guitar back onto his thigh, he turns to the small desk again, rolls the pen into his palm and peers down at the empty notebook before him. Caramel brown orbs gaze up as in ponders momentarily and soon the pen is to paper, jotting down lyrics. He reads them over, scribbles the words out and scratches his head with frustration. He looks about the room for some inspiration but only finds his step-brother, Josh, happily folding underwear. He lowers his eyes back to the sheet of paper again and though his mind is on other things, he continues to concentrate. Within seconds, Drake groans loudly and heaves the pen across the room furiously, which just so happened to be in the direction where Josh had been standing. The writing implement smacks Josh's forehead, leaving a black vertical line in its wake.

Deadpanning, he wipes his marked forehead and slowly turns to Drake.

"That's the thanks I get for folding _your_ unmentionables!?" Josh says, flashing his ink-smeared palm as proof of his face-graffiti.

When Drake doesn't instantly "ew" over the fact that Josh's hands were anywhere near his undergarments, Josh quirks a dark brow in astonishment.

With plaid boxers in hand, he makes his way over to his brother where he exaggeratedly sways the shorts from side to side,

"Unmentionables..." Josh singsongs.

Drake's body is slumped over the desk and he has yet to acknowledge Josh or the underwear at all and now it's not astonishment on Josh's face- its worry.

"Drake?"

Nothing

"Drake..."

"What is it, Josh?!"

Drake snaps as his body twirls around on the chair to face the other brother with burning eyes.

Josh's hanging jaw slowly comes back up to meet the rest of his mouth as he takes a small step forward.

"Whoa, what's your problem, grumpy?"

"Nothing" Drake answers flatly, as he stands up from the chair. He lowers the fender strat down onto the couch on his way to his lofty bed and with little effort he climbs up the metal ladder and then plops down onto the comfy mattress, where he drops a Guitar World magazine into his lap.

Tossing the boxers onto the couch, Josh attempts to change the subject.

"Guess what happened today?" He asks with enthusiasm.

Drake makes a grunt noise that Josh can only assume means, "I have the slightest idea of what event occurred this afternoon, brother. Would you care to enlighten me?"

Shaking his head, Josh leans against the armrest of the couch,

"My mom called and we talked for hours."

Though Drake knew it bothered Josh that he hardly got to speak with his birth mother on a count of her hectic work schedule, he continues to flip through the pages of magazine nonchalantly,

"Cool" He then utters aloofly.

Twiddling his thumbs, Josh bits his lower lip and states,

"You weren't around so she told me to tell you, 'Happy Birthday' for her."

Drake nods just once never taking his eyes off the magazine.

Exhaling sharply, Josh pushes himself away from the couch and over to Drake's bed where he reaches up and over to snatch the magazine right out of Drake's hands.

"Josh, what-"

He begins furiously but is cut off by Josh.

"Drake, it's been your birthday for an entire..." He pauses to take a quick glance down at his wristwatch, "fourteen hours and all you've been doing since then is mope around and throw pens, which are dagger-like, at innocent bystanders! You're sixteen now! Get happy, would ya?"

Drake merely blinks at his suggestion of "getting happy", followed by him climbing down from his bed, retrieving his magazine from Josh's grip and then leaving the room in a huff.

Sighing, Josh follows the burgundy haired boy into the kitchen where he finds Drake has already seated himself at one end of the dinner table.

"You wanna tell me what's wrong?" Josh asks with crossed arms as he stands at the other side of the table.

"Just leave me alone, Josh."

The harshness of Drake's tone is so foreign to Josh that it almost scares him.

"Are... are you mad at me?" He asks softly as he slowly lets his arms come down to rest at his sides.

"No..." Drake answers honestly, looks down at his hands then back up to Josh with guilt playing on his face.

"Then what's going on?"

He looks as though he's about to open up for once but is interrupted by his parents and younger sister, Megan who practically burst through the front door.

"Drake!" His mother calls with excitement as she emerges into the kitchen, bearing gifts.

"Happy birthday!" Audrey and his step-father, Walter, shout happily as they unload nicely rapped boxes onto the table in front of him.

Drake does his best to seem excited throughout the presents for the sake of his mother but over time he's come to realize that his birthday is his least favorite day out of the year.

As Josh helps Walter dispose of the rapping paper, Audrey dishes up the double chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream for everyone.

"Here, honey." She announces as she places one of the dishes in front of Drake.

"Thanks." He tells her with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Everyone seats themselves around the table and they have their cake and eat it too. Well, everyone except for the birthday boy.

"You've barely touched your cake, son." Walter points out, looking in Drake's direction.

_I'm not your son._

"Oh." He gazes down at his rather intact portion of cake. "I guess I'm not really hungry."

"Would you get the mail, Josh?" Walter asks but Megan springs into action.

"I got it!" She calls sprinting.

Audrey giggles softly as she turns to Drake.

"So what did you boys do today?"

Josh shoots a look to Drake, who seems to be playing with his food.

"Nothing really" He answers for the both of them.

"What about you, Drake?" She asks with wide eyes and a smile.

"Um..." He begins only to be interrupted yet again.

"I got the mail, mommy." Megan declares proudly from the foyer just before she enters the kitchen to hand the stack to Audrey who accepts.

She flips through the stack, a smile appears on her face and she brings up a particular envelope.

"Somebody got a birthday card." She singsongs as she holds the blue envelope up by the corners.

"Who's it from?" Josh questions.

She shrugs her shoulders with suspicious unknowingness as she sends the card to Drake with the flick of her petite wrist.

"Well, who's it from, Drake?" Josh inquires again.

Peering down at the card, Drake mumbles the sender's name under his breath.

"What?" Everyone asks at once.

Sighing, he turns the front of the card around for everyone to see.

"It's from daddy." Megan points out referring to their birth father.

"Open it!" Walter encourages along with everyone else.

"I'll open it later..." He tells them softly.

"Oh, come on, Drake!" Walter continues to push goodheartedly.

"I don't want to, okay?" Drake says through clenched teeth with fists balled up tightly.

Sensing a budding argument, Audrey chances the subject by rising up from her seat to start clearing off the table.

"Last call for cake" She announces before popping on the cover.

With card in hand, Drake gets up from the table.

"Thanks, guys." He mentions before heading back into his room.

The family exchange looks of worry and Audrey motions for Josh to follow.

As he enters the room, he sees Drake toss the unopened envelope onto his desk.

"Aren't you going to open it?" He rises.

"No" Drake says simply, plopping down on the couch.

"Why not? I bet there's money inside."

_That'll get his attention._

"I'm sure there is." Drake mumbles nonchalantly.

_Drake not interested in the possibility of cash? Something is definitely wrong with this picture._

Walking over to the couch, he begins.

"Then you should open -"

"I don't want to open it, okay, Josh?!" He snaps at his brother for the third time in less then an hour.

"Okay! That's it!" Josh shouts, taking a stand here and now.

"I don't know what your problem is and by the way you're treating me, I'm starting not to care. You really hurt mom's feelings and you yelled at dad. What's next, a black eye for Megan?"

That last remark knocks the wind out of Drake. Leaping up from the couch, he grabs onto Josh's shirt.

"Don't ever say that about _my_ sister."

Drake emphasizing that Megan was his sister hurts Josh more then anything and Drake knows it.

With tears gleaming in his eyes, Josh pulls away from Drake and leaves the room, slamming the door on the way out.

Knowing he truly crossed the line, Drake slowly seats himself back onto the couch.

Family meant everything to Josh. Reminding him that they all weren't blood related was a low blow.

"Fuck" He whispers to himself as his head falls into his hands.


	2. Two

The rest of the day Josh deliberately avoided Drake. He'd run in the opposite direction if there was the risk of confrontation. Drake had acted as though he could careless but truthfully, it was eating him alive. Even when he crashed their Dune Buggy Josh had forgiven him.

_We're brothers and brothers could forgive_.

Josh had figured.

But they weren't _really _brothers, were they?

The thought would often nag at Josh from time to time and the more he tired not to think about it the more it would pester.

It was nearing eight and the family had settled into the living room after dinner. Drake sat at one side of the long couch while Josh sat at the other.

"Mom, could you please ask Drake to pass the popcorn?" Josh states childishly with his arms crossed.

Rolling his eyes, Drake reaches over, retrieves the bowl and hands it to their mom, whom separated them.

"What's going on?" Audrey asked, passing the bowl to Josh.

"They had a fight." Megan explains and both boys look at her with furrowed brows.

"What?" She says then gets up from the chair and enters the kitchen.

"A fight- what about?" Walter questions but both boys don't seem chatty in fact Josh rises from the couch and heads down the hall to their room.

Sighing, Drake follows the dark-haired boy into the spacious room to find him laying flat on his stomach on the floor near the centered couch.

"Josh!" Drake panics and rushes to his brothers' side. Kneeling down he places a hand on his shoulder.

Josh mumbles something then turns onto his side.

Reaching over, he frees his feet from being tangled in Drake's guitar cords.

"Stupid cords." Josh says under his breath.

Drake stands and then extends his hand out to him. Josh's eyes gazed up at the hovering hand but he doesn't take it.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Drake tells him, following Josh to his side of the room where he scoops the folded boxers into his arms and carelessly throws them onto Drake's bed.

"Fine, be that way! I don't care!" Drake shouts then circles around back to his desk.

Pulling out the wheeled chair, he finds a small box wrapped with the cartoon section of the newspaper. Slowly, he reached down for the package and notes that it's quite heavy. Peeling the paper off, his eyes widen at the expensive gift.

"Josh, you-"The boy had no words.

In his hands, he held a BOSS Chromatic Tuner TU-2. He'd wanted this more then anything. Setting the pedal onto his desk, he turned toward the back of the room where he looks at Josh who was sitting at the edge of his bed.

"Thanks" Drake starts, "and about today I'm really sorry... it's just-"

"Just what?" Josh cuts in, standing up from his bed.

Gazing down, Drake can't seem to put his feelings into words.

"Whatever, Drake" Josh scoffs and begins to leave the room.

"Wait, okay? Just- just wait"

And to Drake's surprise, he _does_ wait.

Gulping, Drake tries to verbalize what's going on in his head.

"I- there's- my-"

"What, Drake, what?!"

"My dad hit me, okay?"

_That sure shut Josh up._

Temperately paralyzed, Drake can't believe he actually just said that. Suddenly he feels naked.

Josh figures he heard wrong for a moment but he unfortunately knew he had dog-like ears.

"I was a jerk to you today because I was expecting that stupid card which isn't even from him. Mom's been forging his name since they spit 'cause he never remembers... or he does he just doesn't care. I guess she'll be short sixteen bucks."

"Drake..."

"Don't. I don't want you feeling sorry for me. I only told you 'cause you always know when I'm lying and I don't need you to be mad at me anymore, alright?"

With his head hanging, Josh bobs it.

"In fact, let's never talk about this again, okay?" Adds Drake and Josh agreed with a second nod.

"Good." Drake says simply then walks back to the desk again.

Wiping his face, he stares down at that fucking lyric-less pad of paper. Looking around, his eyes fix on a round faded burn just below his knuckles. He turns around to find Josh still planted in the same spot with his head still down. Now he truly regretted ever telling Josh anything, he should have just lied though Josh wouldn't buy it, its better then him knowing.

"Just forget I said anything, Josh."

"How?" Josh speaks up, looking to his brother, "How can I forget something like that?"

"'Cause it's not a big deal. It was a long time ago and I'm over it."

"If you're over it then why was it so hard for you to tell me."

"Because it's not important"

_Not important?!_

"I tell you everything!" shouts Josh, "About my mom... about my parent's divorce-"

"I never asked you to, did I?"

_Smooth, Drake, real smooth. _

Lips tighten briefly before Josh speaks again,

"No, I guess you didn't. I just thought that we could trust each other."

"It has nothing to do with trust"

"Yes, it does." Frowning, Josh sits down in the chair near his bed, "No wonder you never talk about him."

"Why would I want you to know something like that about me? Hell, I don't even like knowing it." He finishes with a laugh but Josh doesn't find it funny.

Sighing, Drake scratches at his bushy brow then throws his arm across his stomach.

"Did, did he hit Megan?" Josh asks with a tiny voice. He was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Never" Drake starts, "it wasn't like that... _I_ deserved it."

"What?" Josh asks, springing up from the chair, "How could you say that?! No one deserves to be abused."

"Keep your voice down" Orders Drake, "and I thought we weren't going to talk about this anymore."

Josh couldn't believe what he was hearing. He hadn't even meant Drake's father and he hated the man.

_Did he hit mom too? Had she "deserved" it also?_

"Drake, Josh!" Audrey calls from afar.

The two brothers exchange looks then quietly exit their room and enter the living room where the rest of the family had gathered.

"What's up?" Drake asks.

"Well..." Walter starts.

"There one last birthday surprise, Drake." His mother finished with a smile.

"Yeah?" Drake inquires feebly.

Walter slips into the kitchen then reappears seconds later holding medium sized box wrapped with two different patterns.

"We ran out of the blue." Megan clarifies.

"Right" Drake nods.

"Well, open it!" The parents exclaim.

Walter handed him the box while Audrey sat him down on the couch. Slowing, he unwrapped the present and Drake's brows rose in confusion.

"Gamesphere?" Josh questions.

"That's just the box, ya boob." States Megan.

Drake opens the lid and peers inside. His shoe, a used Bring It On VHS, and one of Megan's old children's books were crammed within the box.

"Thanks?" Drake says with puzzlement.

"Look in the shoe." Audrey tells him.

Taking the old converse into his hand, he lifts up the tongue where a white piece of paper sticks out. Pulling it out, he unfolds it.

"_Look behind you._" Drake reads, "Look behind you?" He repeats aloud.

Slowly, he turned his body around to reveal his big surprise.

"Dad?"


	3. Three

**Author's Note:** Drake's Dad: Think Dan Cortese from UPN's Rock Me Baby.

* * *

Behind the couch stood Jared Parker, dressed in a Jack Daniels t-shirt and snug-fitted jeans. 

"Surprise!" Audrey shouts.

"Daddy!" Exclaims Megan, who leaps toward her birthfather.

"Hey, Megs..." Jared bends down to embrace his daughter but never takes his eyes off Drake who is in complete shock.

"Jared..." Walter greets civilly.

Jared simply nods his head then slowly makes his way over to his son.

"Happy Birthday, buddy."

Drake's jaw hung slightly, his eyes wide.

"D-dad, what're doing here?"

Smirking, he shrugged his shoulders lightly, "It's my boy's birthday, thought I'd make an appearance."

_That's a first..._

"Right"

Josh hadn't moved from his spot since the big surprise and that must have caught Jared's attention.

"John, right?" He asks with a pointed finger in Josh's direction.

With narrowed eyes, he corrects, "It's Josh"

Jared chuckles as he runs a hand through his light brown hair.

He jumps slightly and snaps his fingers, "I almost forgot!" He says then disappears behind the couch, "Um, Bobby toured with Aerosmith a couple months ago and he had the boys sign this for you." He explained as he brought out a sparkling navy blue fender telecaster.

"Wow" was the entire family's reply.

_Bobby?_ Josh wondered.

"It's a 72" Jared mentions as he passes the guitar to Drake who takes it carefully.

"This is so awesome, thanks." Drake told him sincerely.

Josh's hands balled up tightly at Drake's reaction to his abusive father.

_Thanks?! How can he be so forgiving? _

"Jared would you like some birthday cake?" Audrey asked.

"Aw, no thanks, Oddy." Relied her first husband.

_Oddy?_

Drake's eyebrows shot up at the nickname but decided not to ask.

"I'm gonna go put this in my room." Was all he said before exiting the living room with Josh right behind him.

"Are you okay?" Josh asked once they were in the room.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because your dad just shows up out of nowhere."

"Yeah..."

"Yeah?" He scoffed and walked a little closer, "All you say is, 'yeah' Drake, how can you be so cool about this?"

"I don't know what you mean..." He answers simply while plugging one end of a cord into the guitar and then other end into the amplifier.

"About him..." a pause, "hurting you..."

But Drake doesn't say anything; he just continues to mess around with his new guitar and completely ignores Josh.

Flipping the power switch on, he turns the volume dial up and then plays a riff through the amp.

"Man, that sounds killer." Jared says from the door frame, "You play good."

Drake thanks him and then plays a little more.

Josh can't believe his eyes. He wanted to beat this man down for what he did, make him pay. Why would their mother invite the scum into their house again? Did Dad know about him? Josh needed answers.

Sighing, Josh left the room in search for his mother. Turning the corner, he spots short red hair in the kitchen and makes his way inside where he finds his mother washing the dishes.

He clears his throat but she doesn't notice so he does it overly loud and she turns around.

"Oh, hey, honey." She says with a smile and then continues with the dishes.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?" He questions seriously.

"Anything, honey."

"Why is he here?"

Turning slightly, she looks at him over her shoulder, "Who? Jared?" She replied with puzzlement.

"Yeah... _him_" He confirms with obvious disgust, "Why is he here?"

She gives him a hard look, places the dishes down onto the counter and turns her body all the way around to face him.

"I don't know what you mean, Josh."

_God, was she going to cover for him too?_

He sighs and walks closer to her.

"You don't need to act like nothing happened...I know. Drake told me everything."

But the look of puzzlement is still playing on her face and suddenly he realizes that she never knew to begin with.

"Josh?"

"Uh..."

_Think, Josh, think!_

"About..." He nodded his head, trying to stall, "You know about the...milk."

_Real smooth..._

"Milk?" She repeats with disbelief as yellow rubber gloved hands move down to her hips.

"Uh, yeah, the milk... we had... with, um, Drake's cake..." He pauses and scrunches his face a bit, "real bad."

"Really? I just bought that today..."

"Hey, it happens." He finishes and then tries to make a getaway.

"Josh..." Audrey calls to his back, "What does bad milk have to do with Drake's father?"

Slowly spinning back around to face her, he bits his lip, "Well, I just... didn't... want him to... drink it."

_Oh god, she knows I'm lying! I'm so busted!!_

"Oh... alight." She finally says with a wide smile, leans out and kisses his temple, "I'll throw it out right now."

Josh lets out a big sigh, wipes his forehead and then bolts out of the kitchen back to his room where he finds Jared and Drake sitting on the couch together.

His mouth opens but his words stop when he hears crying. He looks hard and sees that Drake's shoulders are shaking. Drake _was_ crying. Jared had hurt him again.

"Get away from him!" He shouts and rushes over to the two of them.

Reaching out, he grabs Jared by the collar and pulls his body onto the coffee table with all his might.

"Josh!" Drake yells and tries to pull him away from his father, "Stop! It's not what you think!"

Landing down punches, Josh still manages to reply to Drake's pleading.

"He hurt you again! You're crying!"

"What's going on?!" Audrey cries out while Walter pries Josh off of Jared.

"He hurt Drake!" Explains an out-of-breath Josh.

"I did not!"

"Where's Drake?" Audrey interrupts her second husband.

All four of them search the room but Drake is nowhere in sight. Walter stays with Jared while Josh and Audrey look for Drake. Audrey checks all the rooms but Josh knows where he is.

Meanwhile, the burgundy haired boy has plopped himself down on the porch swing. Eyes flutter shut momentarily, before he slowly lowers his head into his hands.

The front door cracks open and Josh steps out onto the veranda.

"Hey..."

"You okay?" He asks his brother softly.

"Just leave me alone, Josh."

"No."

Fists balled up tightly, he turned his head away from the heavier set boy.

"Please, just leave, okay?" He pleads with watering eyes.

"No" He tells his brother, firmer then the previous time and approaches the swing to take a seat, "Whatever you did doesn't make it okay for him to hit you."

Drake sniffles as his head moves from side to side.

"I trust you now..." He begins slowly and Josh has no idea what he means.

"I-I lied... I lied about the whole thing..."

"But-"

"He never hit me." He adds, cutting Josh's questioning short.

He takes in a shaky breath and continues with his confession,

"The reason I was crying was because he told me that he's getting married..." He pauses and turns to Josh but doesn't look him in the eye as he finishes, "... in San Francisco"

Josh not being the sharpest knife in the drawer didn't see the importance of where the marriage would be held for about seven awkward seconds but when it finally did hit him, he didn't know what to say.

It was like the weight of the world wasn't on Drake's shoulders anymore. He hadn't told a soul about his father's sexuality and never brings it up with his mother or sister. He basically lived his life as if he was blind of what was true. His father wasn't gay and Bobby was just a friend.

"I'm sorry for lying to you..." Drake says, "I just-"

"It's okay."

Josh too felt relief. Relief that his brother hadn't been abused but Drake was still hurting and Josh couldn't fix it. He tried to think of something to say- to make it better but just because someone lets you in on what's going on doesn't mean you need to have an answer or a solution, being there to listen is just as good.

So the two brothers sit in a peaceful silence while Audrey, Jared and Walter watch from the window.

"I'm glad that you trust me." Josh says softly, never taking his eyes off his entwined hands, resting in his lap.

"I'm glad that you forgive me." Replies Drake.

"Drake?" Josh rises.

"Yeah?"

"...Happy birthday"

Fin.


End file.
